In the Mix: The Sound of the 18th Season

Sven Väth tunes into The Sound of the 18th Season on a gentle note with Willow. A little later, the groove becomes more insistent and Madrid's Eduardo de la Calle provides a pulsating bassline and crackling hi-hats. With the daring sing-a-long of Basti Grub, Väth shows his playful side, which is superseded by the nonchalance and coolness of Eddie Fowlkes and singer Na Dee. With Fort Romeau, processed voices spread a trippy, unreal vibe. Moments later, Väth blends a special bassline into the mix, composed by Chez Damier. Ricardo Villalobos's casual, eye-opening grooves appear to be the ideal counterbalance to Damier's unbounded bassline, together forming Villa H2H. Väth senses a hidden relation between Villalobos and John Tejada's improbable, space-grabbing synthesizer sounds. With DJ Slyngshot, the mix becomes more physical and raw. But Väth does not abandon the subtlety of the mix. With Paul, he immerses himself deeper into iridescent, psychedelic dynamics. With his unique blend of joy and serenity, Isolée expresses the magic of electronic dance in one perfect track. The spacey, retro-futuristic sounds of KiNK sets a first high point and Väth provides a breather with Adam Port & Stereo MC's track. "Avalon" by &Me puts a hymn-like vocal and unbridled tribal percussions on top of a floating house groove. Patrice Baumel absorbs this pathos and creates a sonic vastness. With Fideles, Väth resolves this tension in loose synth-sounds. The ghostly "On the Way" by Gaiser feels like a message from a surreal world. The crazy, tempestuous synths of Aubrey, gives an impression of 18th Season's bold endgame. Only moments later, Väth pushes the listener a step further with an immediate Chicago-house-stomper from Slam. With "Electric Rescue", Väth grants the listener a sense of safety and relief. Väth tunes into the finale with ROD's "Hor" and madness erupts out of raw energy on the dancefloor. With Secret Cinema & Egbert, Väth lingers for a moment to reach a new climax in the unlikely mix of sirens and shouts of Peder Mannerfelt & Hodge, which is topped by Rico Puestel with carnivalesque turbulence. Väth plays Barnt's "If She Says She Is A Healer, She Is A Healer", a truly magical number, fusing the mysterious, the remote, and the immediate. Inigo Kennedy's groping, longing sounds suggest a new beginning and with the incredible strings of Paul Nazca, the listener is already in the next chapter of Sven Väth's fabulous journey.